A role for IL-10 in the transcriptional regulation of Roquin-1

•Transcription factors for Roquin-1 have been identified•IL-10 upregulates the expression of Roquin-1 transcription factors•Blockade of transcription factors by siRNA suppresses the IL-10 effect•This provides a novel mechanism through which IL-10 modulates inflammation

Roquin-1, a RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase, functions as a modulator of inflammation; however, nothing is known about how Rc3h1 expression is regulated. Here, we describe an opposing relationship between Roquin-1 and the IL-17 proinflammatory cytokine by demonstrating that enforced expression of Rc3h1 restricts Il17a expression, and that exposure of T cells to IL-10, a cytokine with immunosuppressive activity, increases Rc3h1 expression. Luciferase reporter assays conducted using eight transcription factor plasmids (STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, GATA2, c-Rel, IKZF1, IKZF2, and IKZF3) demonstrated that STAT1, STAT3, GATA2, and c-Rel increased Rc3h1 promoter activity, whereas IKZF2 decreased activity. Gene expression of those five transcription factors increased in T cells exposed to IL-10. Transcription factor-specific siRNAs suppressed the IL-10 effect on Rc3h1 transcription. These findings identify a role for IL-10 in regulating Rc3h1 transcription, and they have implications for understanding how Roquin-1 controls the immune response.